Minority Sound (en)

Minority Sound is a young band from Czech Republic, playing Cyber Metal in its original way. It contributes a lot in a country where it is hard to find this kind of music. Meeting with Ota, one of the guitar player.

interview Minority SoundTo start with, very basic question, but can you present your band for those who didn't know you yet ?
We are an electro-metal (or industrial metal if you like) from Prague Czech Republic. The band was established in 2007 by me, Gulesh and a former drummer who left a year after. Nowadays we have 4 members including very talented drummer Šimon Staněk and bassist Petr Bláha. We are trying to bring yet another view on this genre. We focus more on the electronic side of the music, then metal itself.
This can be heard in our music via multiple "layers" of the samples and synthesizers, so really nothing for orthodox metal fans, but rather for listener that likes to uncover these layers .


Sure that it is very electronic, lots of songs reflect this part of your music. besides, why have you decided to play industrial/cyber metal?
You might wonder, but in Czech Republic there are not many bands with this focus. Besides the passion for cyber metal this is one of the reasons. We wanted to do something different in our country. Not just another clone of metalcore idols, or death / grind madness (which has actually a very good scene here)

So in Czech Republic, industrial metal scene is quite poor, you walk in the same path as Gorgonea Prima, right?
Haha...Not really. Thats completely different kind of music More like Liveevil. But thats it. Thats actually the whole industrial scene here. I can of course add Sun.Has.Cancer, or Sin.tex, but those are bands (and projects), that play gigs and record CDs very rarely.

Gorgonea Prima is more techno and more black than you I think.
I would rather not talk about these guys, but basically you are right

What about your band's name, why did you chose "minority sound"?
Multiple reasons. First one is that me and the former drummer played together years ago in punk/rock band called Minor Premis. Second on is, that it is definetely not music for metal or any kind of masses, so more focused on the minor scene and the third is about the sound itself. Our music is composed of little elements and details, that create the whole and one is not complete without another

And what are these elements and details?
Minor samples in the music. The stuff that you are able to hear only after a few listens, so if you are capable and patient, the music will bring you something new every time you listen to it. Like a little sound in the background that you have never heard there before. Would you believe that me myself sometimes find something I forgot that was there? It is like with Pains "Rebirth"...
I can hear it thousands of times and still I find something new. A lot of inspiration is hidden in this Peters masterpiece


A great man...
A great man indeed.
Unfortunately I dont like the late albums that much and Rebirth is still the best album he ever made for me. And one of my favorite albums overall.


So we could say that you play something...subtle and complexe thanks to those elements?
Yeps. But it is hidden under the cover of simplicity.
This is actually good, cause the music works great when playing gigs .


Three years ago, you released your first demo called "minority sound", how can you see it in a few words now? Is there something you would have liked to change?
I see it as a good demo. Of course I would like to change some things, but you know. Thats like with everything. Nowadays I would like to change many things on Analysis too. And few months after the release of the next album I would like to see that one changed I bet

CC">So now, let's talk about "analysis", can you introduce it?
Well it is our debut. We have worked really hard on this one. It is self-produced. Only drums were recorded in the studio and the rest has been done in my home studio. It represents basically everything we have talked about so far. We are very proud that we were able to do something able to compete in mostly home environment. The purpose of this album is to make people realize, their own being.

A concept album, no?
To give a mirror to every human on this planet and tell him: Look...you are not so special. You might think so, which is good for yourself, but dont get too bumptious about it, cause you are a still just a human. But the lyrics are not too connected to each other to call it conceptual. On song is about changing opinions and sides, while other is about addiciton to only internet dating.
There are also songs mentioning dictatorship and late-remorses, greed and paradoxes.


Yeah, "paradox", right? Is this track reflecting your thought?
Yes...thats one of the songs. And yes. It is the one most reflecting our view.

There are also three tracks that come from your first demo, kind of reedition ,remixes...?
Those were recorded from scratch. No remixes at all. Those just fit the atmosphere and theme of the album, so we have decided to record them again and give them a second chance.

What is the meaning of the title of the album and the cover? Analysis for the analysis of our being?
You got that right again Yes even the cover with eye (which became the symbol of the album) is about it. It says: Look into yourselves.

You made a great mix with the vocals, I mean there are not always the same, there are some variations, some shiftings, what do you think about that? Is this something you wanted to highlight? Made for emphazise the purpose of the album?
Hmmm...I think that vocals are something we need to work out more in the future (and we have already started). But the idea was to make basically just growling vocals mixed with some clean and crunched lines. With the shiftings these were just ideas flying around, which we have decided that are good enough

The design of the album is quite mechanical, in the booklet we can see you all with a human part and a machine part, what does it mean?
Thats about emphasizing the mechanical parts in our brain. We act like robots, we make robotic music. We have become so possesed with computers and machines, that we ourselves are becoming one. Iam not against this, but we have to make it so much better if we want to make it work. Maybe eliminate the human part for good? Haha...Thats insane isnt it?

But do you find human future so...pessimistic?
Very...Thats whats next album is going to be about. I mean. Look at what state is the world today. How the goverments act and how people respond. Look at the "democracy" we have built. Look at what values we pray to nowadays and how we measure "success". This cant end well. Sooner or later there is going to be a big war and I only hope, that it is not gonna be a civil one.

Your album is not very long, why?
I personally dont like long albums. We had a few arguments about this in the band and decided to make it shorter. It is a debut and we did not want to overestimate ourselves. Short album that is fun to listen is better than longer one, that is boring in the end.

So you want to be concise, and effective, right?
Yes...but then again we will see what future brings for Minority Sound.

Actually, you ha
interview Minority Soundve projects?
Not anymore. Well Šimon plays also in some jazz and samba bands (he is a semi-pro). I used to play in Poppy Seed Grinder on bass, but I have left early this year. Oh yes...a manager of fun band called that he wants to make rehearsal after 1/2 year and some gig...So OK...i have a project.

Great news. So, some shows?
With MS or the other groups?

MS and the other groups.
For MS the festical season just started, so there are loads of gigs over Czech Republic. In September we are planning a tour over Slovakia and Poland with Sun.has.cancer. We look forward to this so much. And we already have some gigs for next year. Everythings going just fiiiine.

What do you think about the cyber metal scene in general?
Many great bands. Herrschaft, Neurotech, Mechina, Thy Disease, Sybreed...I can go on. But I think lack of listeners. Or maybe Iam wrong. What do you actually think as a writer?

Lack of listeners too, that's why I focus myself on reviewing cyber metal, to make people more listen to that stuff.
And that a big thank you to you.

It seems that there are some types of cyber metal scene, increasing more and more, especially american, french and russian cyber metal scene, what do you think about that?
Iam glad that its on the rise again. I think the american and french scenes are great. The russian is very discotheque and happy for me, but some bands are great too ( Illidiance for example ). The time of cybermetal will come once more (cause you know the wave of Static-X and Fear Factory is just gone now) and I want Minority Sound to be there.

Competition, right?
In this case I dont see competition. I want all the bands to stick together and make a great tour and comunicate and support the scene. There is no other way. Of course the healthy competition is good, but competition can also mean making lives and playing harder for others to emphasize their own specialness. But thats not the way how to make (especially this small scene) better.

Need solidarity to be stronger .
Need alliance to be stronger in the seas of metalcore / deathcore / whatevercore stuff. Otherwise there can be noone to play with, noone to make a good genre gig with.

It seems that now, cyber metal bands are influenced either by Fear Factory, either by Sybreed, or both. What do you think? And you, what are your influences?
Fear Factory are the great influence even for us. Sybreed is great too, but actually thats not the biggest well of inspiration for us. We are more into Pain (the older albums), Static-X (the older albums as well) and most of all: gaming soundtracks and psytrance. You would not believe what great tracks are hidden under title Unreal Tournament (our track called Unreality is a tribute to this game).

With what bands are you in fond of? What do you like to listen to?
Khadaver, Sun.has.Cancer, Liveevil...I also wrote to Herrschaft about a concert, but they are pretty expensive and could be a big problem to make a gig, cause not enough people here are aware of them. But Iam gonna figure this out! I listen to a lot of music. Basically everything from U2 to Ulcerate. Nowadays Iam addicted to Mechinas "Conqueror" and Rom di Priscos "Cryptidalia".

Well, I think that's all, thanks a lot! I let you talk and try to convince people to listen to your album...or if you want to add something, this for you ...
Haha...Thanks...You dont have to convince them...Just tell them. If they decide its a crap, then it is their choice Thanks for nice talking.

interview réalisée par Matai

3 Commentaires

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Peacewalker - 16 Juin 2011:
Excellente interview, faudrait que je teste leur album à l'occasion.
AkerfeldtOpeth - 29 Mars 2012: Je suis impressionnée par ton anglais Matai
Matai - 29 Mars 2012: Je te remercie! Cette interview n'a pas été faite par email, c'était du live :) D'ailleurs, il y a la version française!
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